Where There is Smoke
by donna79
Summary: Their jobs bought them together and the attraction between them is undeniable. Will she let her hang ups keep her from being happy? Will he be able to prove to her that he won't hurt her? AU
1. All in a Days Work

**Story Title: Where There is Smoke**

**Summary: Their jobs brought them together and the attraction between them is undeniable. Will she let her hang ups keep her from being happy? Will he be able to prove to her that he won't hurt her? AU**

**Pairing: Emmett/Bella**

**Rating: T for now, possibly will be moved up to M later. They are adults and there are going to act like it.**

**AN: Okay, I have to say thank you to Jessa76 for giving me this idea. The idea of Emmett as a fireman burrowed itself in my brain and just would not go away. Thanks, girl for the very yummy plot bunny.**

Bella Swan wanted what everyone who owned their own business wanted. She wanted to see her diner thrive and she wanted longevity. She didn't want to be one of those business owners who tanked within the first year because they weren't capable of keeping their business afloat, she hired people who took their jobs seriously and were just as driven as she was. She didn't ask a lot of her employees, only that they did what was asked of them and that they remembered that the customer was always right, and if they weren't they were to be nice to them anyway.

Her family had thought that she was crazy for moving six hundred miles away and putting an entire state between them just so that she could make a life for herself. After living in Washington her whole life she wanted a change after college so she had opened up a map and decided to move to the first place her eyes fell on which had been North Dakota. The town she lived in now wasn't that different from the one that she grew up in. She was used to small town life so it hadn't been an adjustment and there was just enough distance between her and her parents that they couldn't show up without calling first.

She'd had as normal a childhood as any child who came from a broken home. Her parents had married young and like some young couples they hadn't been able to handle the pressure of juggling work, a baby and real life all at once. They had divorced after three years of marriage when Bella was only two but had stayed friends so that Bella wouldn't be subjected to the horrors that some children of divorce went through.

She had a few friends that she still kept in contact with that she'd gone to school with but she hadn't talked to her ex-boyfriend since she left. The last she'd heard Jacob was seeing some girl from the reservation. She didn't blame him, they're break up had been ammicable. They had been together for six years and neither were ready to take things to the next level. They had grown a part while she was in college before deciding that it would be best to end things. She wished him all the best.

Starting her business hadn't been easy since she had known exactly no one when she opened. The diner was heavily mortgaged by North Dakota Bank and Loan and her loan officer, Edward Mason had been the first friend that she'd made when she moved to town. He had made his feelings known not long after meeting her but so far she had refused his advances. He was a nice guy, but she wasn't looking for a relationship at the moment.

The diner was her first priority and keeping it running was a full-time job. She had started with only five employees but now that the diner had been open for a year she felt comfortable adding a few more people since they were starting to draw in more business. Alice Brandon was her neighbor and closest confidant and it didn't help that she was a great multi-tasker who could balance a heavily ladened tray with ease. She had a easy deminer and was easy to talk to so she got along with everyone. Bella couldn't find a single flaw in her and she given up trying.

Running the diner didn't leave much time for a life outside the diner so Bella had seen very little of the town that she'd called home for nearly a year. Bismark reminded her of home with it's small town appeal and scenery. She hadn't been farther than twenty miles away from her apartment in the whole time she'd been there. She didn't have time for a social life.

XXXX

Emmett McCarty had grown up in Bismark and was happy to call it home. He had stayed close to home for college before joining the fire department. He saw his mom every weekend and taught his kid brothers football team in the fall and played baseball for the fire department in the spring and summer. He was what most people would consider an all american kind of guy. He was a happy go lucky guy who always seemed to have good luck on his side.

He was proud to be a fourth generation fireman, carrying on the traditions handed down to him from his dad, granddad and great granddad before him. Everyone in town knew who the McCarty men were, hell the firehouse was named after his great granddad and every one of his dad's men had helped raise him after his dad died. His childhood hadn't been easy but he had never complained.

He had become the man of the house when he was twelve. His younger brothers looked up to him and he had to grow up fast so that he could help his mom raise them into men that their dad would be proud of. His mom had never remarried and would probably never get married McCarty had been the love of her life and there was no one that could ever replace him.

Emmett saw his dads picture everytime he walked into the firehouse. Expressive blue eyes similar to his own stared back at him from underneath a fireman's helmet that covered sandy blond hair, the same exact shade as Emmett's. Emmett was the mirror image of his dad down to his deep set dimples. His mom said that it was like being taken back in time every time she saw him.

He had never known any other kind of life than that of a fireman. It was all he had dreamed of since he was little and now that he was living his dream he couldn't imagine doing aything else.

XXXX

It started out like any other day. Bella came in early to meet with her bread supplier and to make good use of the quietness. She had some new recipies that she wanted to try out and she wanted to have them ready for testing by the time everyone came in. Her diner had been open less than a year but it still wasn't where she wanted, not quiet yet. She'd like to enventually like to start making her own bread but she didn't have the equipment for it yet but she did make the best pie in the county. She had a blue ribbon hanging in her office that said so. An outsider winning anything at the county fair was unheard of before she came to town. It had brought in a huge surge in customers which meant more money coming in, which made her very happy.

She opened the safe underneath the cash register only to realize that she hadn't taken the money from the previous week to the bank. She was surprised that Edward hadn't called to ask about it. She left Alice in charge before leaving just before the lunch rush hit. She planned on being gone less than twenty minutes but when she got to the bank there was a line winding almost to the door. She settled in to wait her turn, putting all of her confidence in Alice.

At the diner the lunch rush was in full swing and everyone was doing more than their share to keep everything under control. Alice had sent one of their new busboys to the back to work on the dishes that were piling up in the back because they would need them sooner rather than later.

Ronnie had a system: rinse, load the washer, grab more dishes from the pile and put them in the sink to soak while the washer ran then unload the dishes, put them away and then start the process again; it ran like clock work. He was working on auto pilot when he reached over the stove to put one of the copper pots back on it's hook. He didn't realize that it was dangling precariously from it's hook until it swung free and he had to react fast to keep it from clammoring to the floor. In his haste he didn't realize that he had knocked over the bottle of canola oil and it was seeping onto the stove; where every burner was being used.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by George the cook. George tried in vain to get the fire under control while cursing Ronnie over his shoulder. The whole kitchen was in a panic when Alice came back to see what the commotion was. The fire wasn't that bad, but it was enough to blacken the wall behind the stove. Alice was quick to react, she got the customers outside before having a waitress run to the firestation to see if there was someone who could help them. Within minutes a handful of fireman arrived and were able to get the fire under control. They came out the front door and Alice pounced on them.

"Is the damage bad?" she asked, worried.

"No ma'am. It's nothing that a fresh coat of paint won't fix. You were lucky."

"Thank God, my boss would have my ass if I let the place burn down on my watch," she said with a deep sigh.

"Where is your boss?"

"She's at the bank dropping off the money from our safe. Ronnie, your painting that wall," Alice said pointedly.

"Yes ma'am," Ronnie said feebily.

Ronnie was only sixteen and had only been working there a month. He was a good kid; a little high strung and he tended to let his mind wander a little too often but he was a hard worker. Bella wouldn't have the heart to fire him, she would probably only dock his pay and she would back Alice up and make him paint the wall.

Three of the fireman left once everything was back under control and Alice invited the two that stayed inside for a free lunch. Bella was met at the door by Alice when she came back twenty minutes later and was led back to the kitchen to surmise the damage. The wall wasn't that bad, only slightly gray but would definately need to be repainted and luckily the stove would come clean with some soap and water.

"Thank you for acting so fast," Bella said to Alice.

"That kid is a hazard," she said cutting her eyes to Ronnie who was back at the dishwasher, his eyes cast down, focusing on his work.

"He's no more of a hazard than I was at that age. He just needs to reign in his energy, give him time," Bella said patiently.

"Luckily we're close to the fire house. If we'd had to wait the place would have gone up in flames," George interjected.

"But it didn't. Can you work on it or do I need to close for the day?"

"It's fine. I've almost got it clean. We'll just be a little behind," he promised.

"I need to go back out front. You stay back here and make sure he doesn't do any more damage," Alice said with a sigh.

Bella got to work at the griddle and worked on getting them caught up in silence. She heard Alice's laughter filter back and that let her know that things were back to semi-normal.

An hour later everything was back under control and the lunch rush was dying down. Bella was behind the counter when Alice sat across from her with a grunt. Bella looked at her from underneath her eye lashes with a smile. She didn't give the flighty girl enough credit. There was a pay raise in her future, Bella could see it now.

"I tell you, those fireman are all together yummy."

"They're pretty cute?"

"Cute is for puppies Bells. These are men, real men; with dirt under their finger nails and scruff on their chins."

"Let me guess, one of them asked you out," Bella asked with a teasing smile.

"He hasn't yet, but he will. He'd better," she said with a firm nod.

"Does he have a name?"

"Jasper and his friend who stayed isn't bad looking either. If you like the tall, muscular, corn fed type."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Bella said with a shake of her head.

"What took you so long at the bank? Did Edward finally give you a tour of the safe?" she asked, shrugging her eyebrows suggestively.

"No, he did not take me to the back and ravish me," she said, knowing what Alice was implying.

"Then what was the hold up?"

"There was a line Alice. It was a mad house."

Alice gave her an aggrivated sigh before pushing away from the counter. Alice had been giving Bella the hard sell on Edward ever since she found out that Edward had his eye on her. Bella wasn't ready for a relationship, right now she wanted to put all of her time and energy into the diner.

XXXX

Bella juggled three boxes and a paper bag as she walked down the street. At least the firehouse wasn't far, only two blocks west of the diner. If had been any farther she would have needed to take her car. The firehouse loomed in front of her and she could see a few of the men and a couple women out front washing one of the firetrucks. One of the women noticed her and made her way over to her.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm from the diner a couple of blocks over. A few of you came and helped put out a fire while I was out yesterday. I just wanted to say thank you," she said holding up her packages.

"Come on in," The woman said before walking into the station.

She gestured to a table and said that she could sit everything down there.

"What's your name?"

"Bella, and what's yours?"

"Rosalie. I'll tell the chief that you're here," she said before walking up the stairs at the back of the room.

Bella emptied the contents of the bag on the table as the group from outside made their way in. A couple of them stopped at the table and she smiled as she briefly glanced at them. Her attention was on the man coming down the stairs behind Rosalie.

"I'm Chief Cullen, how can I help you?"

"A few of your men came and put out a fire in my diner yesterday, so I brought over some food as a way to say thank you. Are any of them here?"

"Let me go and see," The chief said before walking away.

"Is all of this just for them?" Rosalie asked.

"No, it's for everyone," Bella said with a quick shake of her head.

"Thank you. These savages have no manners, Emmett and his crew should have first dibs," Rosalie said smacking a wayward hand that reached into one of the boxes for a cookie.

A group of men came from the back of the garage flanked by chief Cullen. Her eyes drifted over the men and she was able to single out Jasper from the way Alice had described him, right down to his short mop of blond hair. The chief introduced each of them and Bella thanked each of them individually.

"This wasn't neccessary Miss Swan, Alice sent more than enough back with us yesterday," Jasper explained.

"I know, but I wanted to come and thank you personally and I didn't want to show up empty handed."

"Dig in everybody," Chief Cullen announced.

Bella stood back while everyone got their fill and answered whatever questions they had. She felt someone's eyes on her and she searched the room until she saw Emmett. He had been the one to stay behind to make sure everything was okay along with Jasper. He wasn't bad looking, even if he wasn't her type.

Emmett made his way to her and her eyes met his in gratitude. He smiled graciously before saying what he needed to say.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Alice went on and on about you for a good twenty minutes yesterday," he said with a jovial laugh.

"She has a tendancy to do that. She could recite the phone book and she'd be able to hold someone's attention."

"She sure had Jazz's, he's planning on going back this afternoon and he wasn't planning on leaving until she agreed to go out on a date with him."

"Well he won't have to wait long, but you didn't hear that from me," Bella said with a light laugh.

They talked for a few more minutes before Alice texted her wondering when she was coming back. She extended an open invitation to them that they could come in whenever they wanted and eat for half price before leaving. Not before getting Jasper's number for Alice since he had been too awestruck to remember to give it to her yesterday. Emmett offered to drive her back in one of the firehouse SUV's and she graciously accepted.

Alice was at the window when they pulled up and Emmett waved with welcoming smile. She waved back excitedly as Bella got out of the truck. Alice smacked her arm with a guffaw and Bella gave her an even look.

"I didn't even think that he was your type," she said in astonishment.

"He's not, but he'd make for a great friend. I got something for you," she said reaching into her purse.

She held the piece of paper with Jasper's number on it just out of Alice's reach when Alice tried to snatch it from her.

"I didn't think that southern gentleman were your type," she teased.

"I'll make an exception for him because he is fine as hell," Alice retorted, singing the last three words.

"Here," Bella said with an eye roll.

Alice snatched the paper from her before taking her place behind the counter. Bella went back to the kitchen to find Ronnie at work on the wall. The vegetable shipment had come in along with the soda shipment so she went through the vegetables while George loaded the soda into the soda fountain. Things were as normal as they could be. Little did Bella know that a certain fireman was planning a way for her to notice him. She had made an impact on Emmett, even if she hadn't realize it.


	2. Two Heads Are Better Than One

**Disclaimer:**

**Emmett: Donna does not own me, she just wishes that she did.**

**AN: Wow, I haven't had this strong of a response for a start of a story in a really long time. Eight reviews? Really?! I want to send a huge thank you and a hug to each and every person who sent a review, is following or has favorite this story. You all do not know how much it means to me. You guys rock!**

Bella was not easily shocked but even she was surprised to see Jasper show up at the diner half an hour early for his date with Alice. He sat down at the counter away from everyone else and sent Bella polite smile when she breezed past him, tossing a hello over her shoulder. Once the rush died down she came to stand in front of him. He looked down at his hands and it was obvious to her that he was nervous.

"Can I get you something?"

"I'm too nervous to eat," he said with a quick shake of his head.

"I can see that. Just a word of warning, if Alice sees you like this she will never let you forget it. Do you want some tea? It'll help settle your nerves," she offered.

"Thanks," he said quietly with a nod.

Bella went back to her office and retrieved the chamomile that she kept there for emergencies. She brewed it herself and put together a plate of sugar cookies that she knew Alice loved just as Alice came in the back door.

"Is he here yet?"

"I would give him a few minutes. He's a little nervous," Bella warned.

"I need to check my makeup anyway. That'll take a good five minutes," she said heading up the stairs to Bella's office.

Bella set the cup of tea in front of Jasper and the cookies off to the side so that Alice could have them once she came down. Jasper smiled his thanks before taking a sip of the tea. Alice came out of the kitchen just as he was finishing his tea ten minutes later. Bella left them alone so that they could talk before they moved on to their actual date. She thought that it was sweet that he had been nervous when he came in. Alice could make anyone nervous, especially people who hardly knew her. She was a classic beauty with a sassy mouth and more poise than anyone that Bella knew.

They left a few minutes later, Jasper leaving a five dollar bill underneath his cup saucer. Bella hadn't had the heart to tell him that it was on the house. She slipped the money into the tip jar and decided that Wanda, Ronnie and Jessica could split it before moving down the counter to refill someone's drink.

XXXX

All of Jasper's nerves were gone as he and Alice walked down the street on the way to dinner. His hand was pressed gently against the small of her back, engaging her in a light hearted conversation. At the moment he was telling her a story about growing the youngest of five and also being the only boy in his family.

"I bet you learned a lot," she said with a coy smile.

"You could say that. My dad never let them put makeup on me or dress me in their clothes but I do know how to braid hair."

"I haven't had my hair braided in years. I can't do it myself and I'm picky about how my hair is styled," she explained.

"My mom claims that it was easier to raise me than it was all four of my sisters combined. I saw all the trouble that they caused and did the exact opposite."

"You weren't a hall monitor, were you?"

"God no! But I never spent any time in detention and my parents never got a call from my principal that I was out of control either while I was in school."

"So what was it like growing up in Dillon Texas?"

"Well, our claim to fame was the movie Friday Night Lights and the TV show that was inspired by it. I played football my freshman and sophomore years but I broke my hand halfway through my sophomore season and my parents thought that it would be best if I gave it up. It's a pretty small town and there wasn't a lot to do on the weekends other than get drunk or go shooting. I chose to go shooting most weekends because I didn't want to come home drunk or worse be brought home by the cops like most of my other friends did."

"What do you mean when you say shooting?"

"Target practice mostly. There's so much open space that you could pull your car off the road just about anywhere. When hunting season was in I usually went with my dad every weekend."

"You've shot a poor, defenseless deer?" she asked with wide, doe eyes.

"Yes, I have, but I don't anymore. My parents wanted me to go to college, join my dad's family practice and then take over when he retired. I loved the idea of saving lives but I wanted to do it my way. They understood when I told them that I wanted to be a fire fighter and have supported my decision from the beginning."

"What brought you here?"

"I wanted a fresh start after college and I liked the idea of moving somewhere that reminded me of home."

"Bella would say the same thing. She grew up in a small town too," Alice said with a nod.

"What about you? Are you from here?"

"No, I'm originally from Pittsburgh. I moved here when I was twelve after my parents died in a car accident. My grandparents raised me."

"Are they still around?"

"My granddad is, but my grandmother died a few months after I graduated from high school."

They walked in silence until they reached the entrance of the towns only park. It would be closing soon but they had a little time to walk the trails before it got too dark. Jasper took hold of her hand and she leaned into him to ward off the chill from the breeze that was blowing. He stopped long enough to shed his jacket and drape it over her shoulders. Their conversation picked up when he asked about how she had met Bella.

"We are next door neighbors. We met on her first day and she was carrying everything in by herself. I talked a few guys on our floor to help out and we've been friends ever since."

"Her family didn't help her move in?"

"Her family is still in Washington State. She moved here after college, like you did but she had other motives for leaving. She left behind her dad, who now lives on his own and an ex-boyfriend that she had been dating since she was sixteen. She couldn't handle being there anymore, the memories that she and her ex had made together were making her crazy and she wanted something more than just getting married and making babies."

"I guess I can understand that. My parents wanted pretty much the same thing for me when I was younger. Emmett was the first friend that I made after moving here. We were both too young to take the fire man's placement test but it was all he could talk about and before I knew it he had talked me into it when we were both twenty-two. We did as much volunteer work for the firehouse that we could trying to pursued Chief Cullen that we were worth his time and he passed us both without so much as a second glance at our tests. We've been with the fire department less than a year."

"Did either of you ever have to go through the hazing that I've heard that people in your line of work have to put up with?"

"Emmett woke up to a shaving cream facial our first night in the firehouse and I found all of my clothes in the shower a few weeks later. We got everybody back though; Emmett tripped the fire alarm in the middle of the night. Seeing a dozen men and women tripping over themselves to get down the pole was a sight to see," he said with a grin and a slow shake of his head.

"So, tell me exactly what your job is," she implored.

"I'm truckie. That means that I work on the truck and also the search and rescue team. I don't go and fight the fires."

"What does Emmett do?"

"He's a pipeman, he actually works on the hose line. He goes in and fights the fire and finds people who are trapped and me and my crew go in and get them out, he saves people who are threatening to jump off of ledges, that kind of thing."

"So both of your jobs are equally dangerous," she said, concern etched in her eyebrows.

"There's a threat of danger in any job we could have taken. I'm sure that there's even danger in working in the restaurant business," he reminded her.

"Not as much as yours," she said with a light laugh.

"I would suppose there isn't," he said with a slight smile.

"I think Bella might have a slight crush on him," she admitted.

"He's quite fond of her too," he said in his easy southern drawl.

"What can we do about that?"

"I like the way you think," he said tapping her nose gently.

They walked through the park, their heads close together as they talked in hushed tones. They talked not only of Bella and Emmett but about what they wanted out of life and out of each other.

XXXX

The diner was dead as it would only be open for another half an hour. There were only three customers and Bella had sent Ronnie and Jessica home and Wanda was in the back doing her prep work for the next day so that left Bella to man the front. George and Wanda's voices carried through the window separating them from the front as Bella wiped down tables when the bell above the door jangled. Bella slowly lifted her head to see Edward slip his umbrella into the barrel by the door. Bella's eyes followed him to the counter where he sat down.

"I'll be with you in just a second Edward," Bella called from a few feet away.

"Take your time Bella," he said pleasantly.

He came in at least twice a week and ordered the same thing every time. It had taken her a few weeks to get used to calling him Edward outside of the bank but they had settled into an easy friendship after a few months. He had become one of her regular customers and was known for tipping well so Alice would be sad that she missed him.

She wiped her hands on the rag that she kept in her apron as she walked around the counter to take his order.

"Tuna on wheat with a diet coke?"

"Please," he said with a kind smile.

"It'll be out in just a few minutes," she said filling a cup with soda from the fountain.

She handed George Edwards order slip through the window and George waved in greeting. She sat his drink in front of him before taking another customer their check. His sandwich was sitting in the window by the time she came back around the counter and she placed it in front of him with a smile. She was wiping down the counter a few feet away when Edward cleared his throat. She looked up with a questioning look to see him watching her.

"Did you hear about the new art exhibit that opened Piedmont?"

"No, I hadn't," she said with a shake of her head.

"It's supposed to be really good. There's talk that they might have a couple of Warhol's on display."

"Really? That sounds like something you should check out. I know how much you like Andy Warhol's early stuff."

"I do," he said with a nod.

"Are you ready for your check?" she asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Sure," he said with a small smile.

Edward was the type of guy who could have any girl he wanted. He had an angelic face and an easy smile that had the effect of making any woman of any age lose their train of thought, Bella had found herself enraptured by his good looks more than once. He reminded her a lot of her ex-boyfriend, Jacob. He was sweet and funny, he also had no idea the effect he had on women and obviously cared for her a great deal. She wasn't looking to be in a relationship and she told him that every time he hinted at the possibility of them going out. He was persistent and refused to take no for an answer. It was no wonder that he was the leading loan officer at the bank.

She handed him his check and his hand lingered close to hers a few seconds too long.

"Think about coming with me this weekend?" he asked, his green eyes watching her kindly.

"I don't think so," she said with a polite shake of her head.

"Maybe next time," he said with a easy smile.

That was what he always said and she never corrected him. Maybe she needed to explain to him in a way that he could understand that she wasn't looking to be in a relationship at the moment. If he asked her out again she would do just that. Her job kept her busy and she didn't have time for anyone else right now.

Edward placed his money on the counter along with a seven dollar tip. He had just given her a tip that was more than his dinner had cost. She stared at the money with wide eyes before putting the extra money in the tip jar. George came from the back, his apron hanging over his shoulder and Wanda followed after him a few seconds later. Bella emptied the tip jar and counted out eighteen dollars for Wanda and eighteen for herself.

"Why do always tell him no?" Wanda asked after she had pocketed her money.

"Who?"

"Mr. Cullen, he's a nice man, you should give him a chance."

"I'm not looking to be in a relationship right now," she said with a shake of her head.

"You did the right thing Bella, you don't need him. He's too stuffy," George interjected.

"He's a gentleman, something that obviously you aren't," Wanda said, turning her nose up to George.

"Okay you two, that's enough," Bella said with a sigh.

They both bid her goodnight before leaving. Bella was in her own little world as she turned out the lights and locked up for the night. Alice was one of Edwards biggest supporters but even she hadn't mentioned him in the past few days, not since the day of the fire. Maybe she had finally seen that Bella wasn't going to change her mind.

XXXX

Bella was reading later that night when her phone rang. She picked it up, not recognizing the number. She pressed the answer button anyway, it was a local number so the worst that it could be was a wrong number.

"Hello?" she asked, once she finally put he phone to her ear.

"Is this Bella?" An unidentified man asked.

"Yes, this is. Who is this?"

"Emmett, I'm a friend of Jasper's from the station," he explained.

"Hi, Emmett, what can I do for you?"

"I don't know if you've talked to Alice yet but Jasper and I got to talking and he was telling me how their date went. One thing led to another and he gave me your number, Alice gave it to him to give to me."

"Did she now?" she asked, intrigued.

"I didn't ask for if that's what you're thinking. I hope you don't mind," he said with a light laugh.

"No, it's fine. Is there a reason why you called me? It's almost midnight."

"Were you getting ready for bed? If you are I can call back in the morning," he offered.

"No, I'll be up for a few more hours. Tomorrow's my day off because I Skype with my dad on Saturday nights. He won't be getting off work until two."

"What does he do?"

"He's the chief of police for the town that I grew up in."

"So you're used to people working in dangerous professions."

"You could say that. My ex-boyfriend is an EMT, so I constantly worry about the people around me. Your family probably worries about you every time they hear about fire breaking out."

"You're right, they do. It's good to talk to someone who understands though," he said easily.

"It is, I haven't had anyone to talk about the stress that comes along with caring for someone who willingly puts their life in danger."

"Then remind to give you my mom's number. Boy, would she love to meet you," he said with a bark of laughter.

Talking to Emmett was easy and the conversation never lulled or dragged on. She was surprised when her laptop pinged letting her know that her dad was online and wanting to talk to her.

"We've been talking for two and half hours," she said with a breathless laugh.

"It doesn't seem like that long."

"I have to go, my dad's waiting to talk to me."

"Have a good rest of your night, Bella. G'night."

"Goodnight, Emmett."

Her dad's face filled her computer screen a few seconds later and she smiled in greeting.

"What took you so long, kiddo?" he asked.

"I was on the phone," she said, hoping that she wasn't blushing.

"Is it okay if we keep it short tonight? Your old man is tired and Billy and Jake are gonna be here by nine, we're going fishing."

"Sure," she said with a quick nod.

She treasured her weekly video chats with her dad. They talked every couple of days over the phone but they carved out an hour late every Saturday night to have some face time. She wasn't sure if she should tell her dad about her budding friendship with Emmett or not. It would be good to get his opinion on things since he would understand what was going on than anyone else she knew. She would hold off to see how things developed before telling her dad. That seemed like the safest way to go.


	3. Mixed Signals

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: I just want to thank you all again for the love you have been showing me for this story. I have to say that I do have a thing for guys in uniforms and the idea of Emmett in a fireman's uniform is very hot.**

In the weeks following the fire Jasper and Emmett had become a mainstay at the diner. They knew the regulars by name and were always polite and gracious when people paid their tabs as a thank you for their service to the community. Others from the firehouse came in every once in a while in a while. Bella and Alice Rosalie interesting since she was the only woman in her company. She wasn't treated any different than the guys but she did enjoy her time with Bella and Alice because she got to talk about other things that she enjoyed besides fighting fires.

On a dark and rainy day the diner was more crowded than normal due to the face that people were needing a place to come in from the rain and cold. Bella was manning the counter along with with Jessica while Alice, Sheila and Ronnie manned the floor. Normally, Bella didn't let Ronnie carry much more than than a bucket of dishes to the back because he had proved that he was incapable of balancing a heavy tray with one hand but she needed him to pick up the slack that Alice and Sheila couldn't.

The bell above the door jingled but Bella didn't pay attention to it since she was cashing out someone's to go order. The person sat at the counter and picked up a menu and waited patiently for their turn. Bella finished and walked down the counter to see Emmett still looking over the menu.

"Do you know what you want to drink?"

"Iced tea," he said, not making eye contact with her.

She filled a cup with ice then pulled tea from the pitcher beneath the counter. She sat in front of him then waited for him to decide what he wanted.

"I'll take a reuben sandwich and a bag of chips."

"What kind do you want?"

"Cheeto's will be fine."

She put his order slip on the turnstile then rang the bell to let George know to pick up the ticket. She grabbed a bag of cheeto's from the rack behind the counter and sat them in front of Emmett before moving on to the next person.

Twenty minutes later the bell rang again and the person sat next to Emmett and flagged Bella down when she passed.

"Do you want your usual?"

"With a slice of cherry cheesecake."

"I'll be right back with your drink," she said before walking away.

Emmett nodded politely at the man and smiled back fleetingly. Emmett knew that he worked at the bank but he couldn't place his name. Bella sat a can of Diet Coke in front of him along with a tuna sandwich on wheat.

"Can I get my check?" Emmett asked.

"Mr. Jones already took care of it Emmett," she said politely.

He wasn't ready to leave yet, he was hoping to have a chance to talk to Bella when things died down. Edward made polite conversation with Bella and she answered him as best as she could with what was going on around her. Edward caught both of them off guard when he asked her if she had any plans after she got off work.

"Nothing too important," she said, nervous.

"Would you want to maybe catch a movie?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't think so," she said with a light laugh.

Emmett stood silently and left without thinking twice. It was no wonder Bella wasn't looking for anything serious, someone else had their sights on her. He couldn't blame Edward for trying but he wondered why Bella had shut him down. It wasn't any of his business.

XXXX

Bella tuned Edward out for the most part unless he needed anything. She couldn't believe that he had asked her out in front of everyone. He had thrown her a curve ball and luckily she had been able to let him down gently. He was still there when things slowed down an hour later. The empty seat next to him was the first thing she noticed when she stopped in front of him to give him his bill.

"Are you sure that you don't want to do something tonight?"

"Maybe I haven't made myself clear all the other times I've said no. I only see you as a friend Edward, I'm sorry that I didn't clarify that sooner," she apologized.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry for trying too hard," he said with a sigh.

"You're a great guy, just not the guy for me."

"I understand," he said with a nod before standing.

Bella watched him sadly as he stood in line to pay his tab. Alice caught her eye and she gave her a shrug. Bella shook her head, giving her a look that let her know that she would explain later. She felt a little lighter for finally having been honest with Edward. Now maybe things wouldn't be so awkward when he came in. She could only hope.

XXXX 

It was a few days later when Bella realized that she hadn't heard from Emmett since the day Edward came in. She hoped that he hand't gotten the wrong impression about the situation. It wasn't like Emmett to not call her at least once a day. She looked forward to his calls at the end of a hectic day.

After work she made the decision to go and see him. She slid a still warm from the oven chocolate chess pie into a to go box before heading to the firehouse. She just hoped that he wasn't on call. The five minute walk did nothing to settle her nerves.

A few of the guys were playing basketball out front when she walked up and they all took notice when they saw the box she was carrying. She smiled in greeting before asking if Emmett was there.

"He's on dinner duty tonight so he's probably upstairs. I'll go and get him for you," one of them offered.

"Can you take this with you? It's best room temperature," she explained.

"I'll be right back," he said after taking the box from her.

Bella talked with the few guys she knew and two minutes later the guy was back.

"He says you can come up. Take a left at the top of the stairs and the kitchens at the end of the hall."

Bella smiled her thanks before walking into the firehouse. As she climbed the last stair she cold hear music and the typical noises that were made when one made dinner. Emmett had his back to her as she crossed over the threshold of the kitchen.

"Hi," she breached.

"You're not Alice," he said, turning to give her a once over.

"No," she said with a nervous laugh.

"I just figured that it was Alice when Jason said that someone from the diner wanted to talk to me."

"Nope, just me. I was just wondering how you were doing. I haven't seen you in a few days.

"I had some time off that I hadn't used, and if I didn't use it before the end of the month I would lose it so I wen to see my mom and brothers," he said with a shrug.

He had told her a little about his mom and younger brothers who he was helping his mom raise. His dad had died when his youngest brother was still an infant and Emmett had taken over as man of the house; a job he took very seriously.

"Well, I'm glad that you got to see them," she said with a polite nod.

"So, you noticed that I was gone?" he asked, one of the corners of his lip curling into a smirk.

"Yes, but it doesn't mean anything," she said, folding her arms over her middle.

Emmett grinned, knowing that he was getting under her skin. She may be able to brush off Edward but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He was heard from Jasper who had heard first hand from Alice what had happened after he left. He had a small chance and he was going to take it. He turned to check on the noodles that were boiling in the pot, pulling a few out with a fork.

"Can you check these? I can never tell if they're done or not?" he asked, holding the fork out to her with his other hand cupped underneath the fork to catch the noodles if they fell.

Bella crossed the small space between them and took the fork from him silently. She chewed slowly, thinking that things were starting to take a turn that she wasn't ready for. She swallowed, choosing her next words carefully so she didn't let her nerves show.

"Did you salt the water before you put the noodles in?"

"No, was I supposed to?"

"It helps to keep the noodles from clumping together and yes, they're done."

"Thanks for the tip, I'll remember that for next time," he said, his voice low.

Her eyes met his and she knew what he was about to do next. Before she could stop him he cupped her neck with one hand before leaning down to brush his lips to hers. The kiss was brief, he wanted her to be left wanting more so that she knew what she was missing. He pulled away, his eyes still locked on hers. She stared up at him wide eyed, knocked breathless by the kiss and also from behind under his smoldering gaze.

"You should probably pull yourself together before you head downstairs. Everybody's probably wondering why you've been up here so long," he said to break the silence.

She nodded before walking out of the kitchen. She found the bathroom halfway down the hall and grabbed hold of the sink as she tried to pull herself together. She took a few deep breaths before wetting a paper towel and patting her flushed neck and face. Once the color had drained from her skin she opened the door and nearly collided with Jasper.

"Easy, Little Lady," he drawled.

"Sorry. I should get going," she said sheepishly.

"See you around Bella," Jasper called after her.

"See you later," Bella agreed before descending the stairs.

Once she was back on the street she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She knew that Alice still had an hour before she got off work but she needed to her to come over.

"Hey, can you come over after work? I'll make you some hazelnut cookies," Bella left on Alice's voice mail

She didn't know what to make of what had just happened and Alice was just the person to help her work through it.

XXXX

Bella was pulling the second batch of cookie out of the oven when Alice let herself in a hour and a half later. She had gone home to change and had brought a bottle of Skinny Girl margarita mix. Alice grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet and set them in the freezer to chill.

"So, what's so important that you had to see me twice in one day?" Alice broached.

"I went to see Emmett after work," she admitted.

"Uh huh," Alice said, gesturing for her to continue.

"We got to talking about why he hadn't come in recently and one thing led to another and he kissed me," Bella said hurriedly

"Wait, back up. How did the conversation jump from him taking time off to him planting one on you?"

"I think he got the wrong impression last week when Edward came in. They were sitting next to each other when Edward asked me out. Emmett left without a word after that."

"How did it make you feel? The kiss I mean."

"It knocked me for a loop because I wasn't planning on it happening."

"Did you like it? Don't over think it," Alice confronted her.

"I-" she started with a sigh.

"Bella," Alice warned her.

"Yes, I liked it. I just don't know what to do. How many times have I told Edward that I'm not looking for a boyfriend?"

"This isn't Edward, Bells. This is Emmett, someone who I noticed you had an attraction to the first time I saw the two of you together," Alice said, stating the obvious.

Bella plopped down in a chair and reached for a cookie. Alice joined at the table, reaching for a cookie of her own. Realizing that you had feelings for someone you hardly knew was not easy; she knew that first hand. She would help Bella as much as she could but she would not sway Bella's decision in any way. This was something that she needed to figure out on her own.


	4. Going with the Flow

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Nope, sure don't.**

**AN: Okay, so I've been working on this chapter off and on for almost a week now and I finally finished it last night. So even though it's my birthday today you guys are getting a smut infused present featuring my favorite fireman and yours. Enjoy.**

**Warning: This chapter contains lemon.**

Ever since Emmett had kissed Bella it was all that she could think about. She had dreams of being rescued by him in several different ways and when she woke she could almost feel his lips on hers. To be on the safe side, she had made the decision to put some distance between them until she had sorted out her feelings. She missed talking to him late at night. She wondered what he was doing or if he was thinking of her.

The weekend after their kiss Bella realized that most of the firefighters who normally came in hadn't been in in a few days. Jasper hadn't come in to walk Alice home from work since the day after Emmett and Bella's kiss. Come to think of it, Alice had been a tad bit on edge lately. It was time that she and Bella had a talk.

Alice came over straight after work, not even bothering to change out of her uniform. She had dark circles under her eyes from too many sleepless nights and her perfect posture had gone out the window. Bella watched her with worried eyes. She went to check on dinner, meat loaf and mashed potatoes, Alice's favorite.

"Dinner should be ready soon," Bella said from the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry," Alice said, coming through the revolving door.

"Did you eat at the diner? I told you that I was making dinner," Bella said with a huff.

"Do you have any wine?"

"There might be some on the top shelf in the back. What's going on with you? Did you and Jasper break up?"

"No," Alice said, pouring herself a healthy amount of wine into a large wine glass.

"Then what is going on?"

"Jasper's out of town, so is Emmett, in case you're wondering," Alice broached.

"Are they camping or something?"

"I wish. They're fighting the wildfire in Mandan."

"Are you serious?" Bella asked, her voice panicked.

"They were the first to volunteer. I don't know when they're coming back. God, I'm a nervous wreck," Alice said with a deep sigh.

"Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"I thought that you knew. Emmett didn't tell you?"

"I haven't talked to him in almost a week."

Bella grabbed a wine glass and poured herself an almost full glass. She knew that Emmett was only doing his job but she worried about him because he had chosen such a dangerous profession, just like her dad and Jacob. Her appetite was now lost. She moved to the oven, pulled out the meat loaf, which was done and made a mental not to give it to her next door neighbor.

She knew about the forest fire that had started in Mandan and was moving towards them, it was all over the news. With the dry spell that the state of North Dakota had been having combined with the climbing temperatures it was only a matter of time before someone got careless. If she turned the TV on there would more than likely be coverage of the fire on the news. There was a threat the fire could spread to them in Bismarck if it wasn't contained in the next day or so.

"Talk to me," Alice implored.

"You've had days to let this sink in, I just found out," Bella reasoned.

"You really haven't talked to Emmett since you kissed?"

"No. I didn't want to say or do something that I would regret later. I do like him, I've come to depend and rely on him."

"Even a blind person could see how much he likes you."

"Well, I had no clue until he kissed me. He snuck up on me," she said with a light laugh.

"I might be able to eat a little something. This wine won't sit well on an empty stomach."

"Let me get the potatoes mashed," Bella said, moving to the counter.

"Extra cheese and easy on the garlic powder please," Alice suggested.

They sat down to dinner, but neither of them ate much. Bella's eyes wandered over to the TV on the counter. She was tempted to turn on the news but she was scared of what she would find out. Alice's phone buzzed and she grabbed it from off the table. Her eyes brightened immediately.

"It's from Jasper," she said, pushing a few buttons to cue up her text messages.

"When was the last time you talked to him?"

"The day he left. He's coming home tonight," she said with a breathless laugh.

Bella grabbed the remote and the TV quickly came to life. She switched to the news and they didn't have to wait long for an update. As soon as the news came back from a commercial the news anchor announced that the fire had been contained after raging for four days. Cleanup would take weeks but the fire had been taken out early that afternoon.

Bella reached for her phone, not sure what she would say to Emmett, other than ask him if he was okay. Did she want him to come over so they could talk? Should she go and see him? Should she...

"You're thinking about Emmett," Alice observed.

"We need to talk, I know but I don't know how to bring it up. Should I invite him over? Should I go to the station? Should I ask him to come by the diner?"

"Here. Order dinner, keep it casual. This is not the crisis you are making it out to be."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It can be. Emmett isn't looking for some huge overblown declaration of love. He just wants a chance to make you happy."

Bella sighed, knowing that Alice was right. She had a tendency to over complicate things that shouldn't be complicated at all. She tapped a quick message and hit send before she could talk herself out of it.

_Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night?_

Her phone chirped less than a minute later as she was loading the dishwasher. Alice snatched it before she could dry her hands.

"Hey!" she protested with a laugh.

"He wants to know if he can bring anything?"

"No. Ask him what he wants to eat."

"He likes burgers, I can tell you that." Alice answered as she typed.

They went into the living room where Alice spent most of the night with her phone close by because Jasper would text her every couple of minutes. He texted her for the last time just before eleven to let her know that he was back at the station and that he was going to bed. Alice saw herself out after the local news went off and Bella readied for bed. She was glad that she had the day off tomorrow, she would be a neurotic mess if she had to work while worrying about what might happen.

XXXX

Bella tried to go about her day as normal as possible. She had straightened up the living and dining room, mopped the kitchen and removed all incriminating photos that would embarass her from the TV hutch. Emmett would be the first guy, other than her dad to visit her since she had moved to North Dakota a year earlier. That was a marvel in itself.

She still had four hours before Emmett would be there and by the time she finished cleaning a knot had settled in her stomach and she willed it to go away. There were only two people who could calm her now and Alice was at work so she hoped that her mother was home from work by now. She dialed her mom's number, nervously drumming her fingers on the gleaming counter top.

"Bella?" Renee greeted when she answered on the third ring.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, I'm just loading the dishwasher. We just finished dinner. What's up?"

"I have a guy coming over tonight and I'm a little nervous," she admitted with a dry laugh.

"You've met someone?" Renee asked, the sound of something crashing to the floor echoing through the phone.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked quickly.

"I dropped some tupperware containers. You have a guy coming over?"

"Yes, Mom," Bella said with a defeated sigh.

Renee launched into an interrogation that would have made Charlie proud. She wanted to know everything and would not stop until Bella had told her everything that she knew about Emmett.

"He seems like a great guy. I'm sure that you're worrying over nothing."

"You're right," Bella agreed.

"You've told me almost everything I need to know, except what he looks like."

"He's tall and strong enough to carry a monster truck tire, with no trouble. I've seen him do it. He's got blond hair, blue eyes and eye lashes that most people would be jealous of. Oh his smile, Mom, I can't explain it. It's something you have to see for yourself. "

"He sounds amazing and now I want see a picture of him."

"He's on my Facebook page and while you're at it, check out Alice's."

"Will do," Renee answered, the sound of tapping computer keys in the background.

"Check out Alice's first."

"But I'm already on...Holy mackerel!" she exclaimed.

"Pretty cute, huh?"

"He's gorgeous. You did not tell me about how good he looked in his fireman's shirt. I don't even think I could wrap my hand around his bicep."

"Now check out Alice's new boyfriend," Bella advised.

"And now I am dying," Renee said with a sigh.

"I gotta tell you, Jasper's a real southern gentlemen."

"I can't wait to meet either of them."

"One day," Bella agreed.

Bella talked to her mom for a few more minutes, making plans for Renee to come and visit in the fall. Bella had missed her mom, but Renee had understood that Bella wanted to take some time to get her business up and running before having her family visit. Fall was her moms favorite season and with so many festivals and the county fair taking place in late September, early October it would be a perfect time for her to visit.

Bella's phone rang as she was getting ready with less than an hour before Emmett came over. Alice smiled back at her and she sighed before sliding her thumb over the accept button.

"What?" she asked with a groan.

"I just thought you'd like to know that Emmett came in a little while ago. Edward was here but he behaved himself. I think that it's safe to say that Edward has moved on."

"Well good, I'm glad."

"I introduced him to Rosalie and they seem to be quite taken with each other."

"Good grief, you've been spending too much time with Jasper. You're talking like him."

"What all did you do today?"

"I talked to my mom for almost two hours. She can't wait to meet you by the way. She'll be coming in October."

"That's awesome! What did she have to say about Emmett?"

"She had a thousand questions but she's happy that I'm happy."

"Back to Emmett, what are you wearing tonight?"

"My Seahawks tee and a pair of cut offs."

"Good choice on the shirt, it flaunts the few curves you have, are you wearing your acid wash cut offs? Those things are hideous!"

"No, I'm wearing the light colored ones that you say show off my ass."

"Smart girl. Give him a taste of what's to come."

"I need to call Yen's and order dinner so I need to get off of here."

"That's another reason why I called you. Jasper says that Emmett has a peanut and shellfish allergy. I didn't want you to order something that could make him sick."

"Thanks for the tip. I'll call you as soon as he leaves," she promised.

"Good luck, Hon," Alice said before ending the call.

Bella called the Chinese place across the street and the food should be ready by the time that she finished getting ready. Twenty minutes later she was crossing the street on her way back to her building when she saw Emmett get out of his car a few buildings up. She took the time to take him in. His skin was a little darker than when she had seen him last. That meant that he had more than likely spent the day outside before coming to see her. He wore a dark blue muscle tee that seemed to mold to his solid frame and his khaki shorts were slung low on his hips.

She waited at the bottom of the stairs for him as he pulled a pink box out of the back of his car. She'd know that box anywhere. It came from the bakery a few doors down from the diner and they made the best cupcakes that she had ever had. She smiled in greeting when his eyes met hers. She held open the door from him then led the way up the stairs; she had never been more glad that the building didn't have an elevator. She moved her hips in a way that she knew would get his attention as they walked up to the second floor. Once in her apartment she sat the food on the coffee table before taking the box from him.

"Hi," she said, turning to face him.

"Hey," he answered, his voice low, thick with want.

She stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. To hell with talking to him, she could think of better things to do. She was going to take her mom and Alice's advice and just go for it. She leaned up on her toes to place her lips on his, feeling his hands on hips to steady her. He applied pressure to the kiss, feeling her hands playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He inwardly groaned when he realized that there was a hitch in their plan. Bella felt him go rigid before pulling away.

"What's the matter?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip.

"How serious do you want things to get tonight?" he asked with a sigh.

"I was hoping that we'd end up in my bedroom since you have the night off."

"I don't have a condom on me," he said sheepishly.

"I don't have any either. Next time?"

"Definitely," he said, nodding his head quickly.

"That doesn't mean that we can't fool around" she offered.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you no. What changed your mind? Because last time I saw you I was sure that I was going to have to give you the hard sell about being with me."

"I had a talk with Alice and then I called my mom this afternoon. They both gave me the same advice. I shouldn't make things so complicated. I always do that."

"I can see how that would be a problem," he said with a slow nod.

She sighed deeply before kissing him again. She wouldn't let herself be the one to pull away first this time. She walked them backwards, guiding him around the coffee table, only bumping their knees once before the back of her knees brushed against the couch. He pushed her gently onto the couch with him hovering over her, his arms boxing her in. This was the way that he had wanted their first kiss to be. He had wanted to kiss her thoroughly so that she felt it in every part of her. He wanted the feeling of his lips on hers to last long after they had left each other.

Her hands traveled down his arms to his narrow hips, feeling heat coming off of him in waves. She got lost in the feeling of his lips on hers. This was the most intense, most exquisite kiss that she'd shared with anyone. Jacob had always been gentle, even if he had been intense when he wanted to be. Jacob had always been the one to say no, Bella had always gone along with him; it had felt right at the time. Bella wasn't the same person she had been back then.

Emmett pulled away, his fingers lacing into her hair, which she had chosen to wear down. His eyes were wide and his chest was heaving as he stared down at her. She smiled up at him nervously, wishing that he would sit down so that they could talk. He finally sat next to her a few seconds later, noticing a picture on the end table. It was a picture of Bella on the day she graduated from college. There were two men flanking her and a guy who he guessed was her ex standing behind who Emmett guessed was his dad. Bella's eyes followed his and swallowed the sigh that was building in her throat.

"You look like your dad," he observed.

"Thank you."

"Is this Jake?" he asked, gesturing to Jacob.

"It is," she said with a nod.

In the picture Bella and Jacob had an arm around each other's waist but it was clear that friendship was all there was between them at the time.

"How long had the two of you been broken up when this was taken?"

"Actually we were still dating then. We tried to make things work; but by the end of the summer it was obvious that things were over. We had spent the better part of four years apart and it took a toll on the both of us. We weren't the same people we had been when we first started dating at sixteen."

"I've never been in a serious relationship. Even before I become a fire fighter is was my main focus, I wanted to carry on my dad's legacy."

"That's really nice."

"Do you and Jacob still talk?"

"Every once in a while. He started dating someone a few months ago and I don't want to get in the middle of what they have."

Emmett nodded even though he couldn't imagine staying friends with someone after dating them. Bella had told him early on in their friendship that she and Jacob had been friends since they were really young so maybe it was natural for them to go back to being friends. Charlie and Jacob's dad, Billy had been friends since before Bella and Jacob had been born. Emmett din't have any friends that he'd had for that long.

Bella suggested that they eat before the food got cold and they settled down on the couch with dinner and found a movie to watch. If this could be considered a date it was the easiest one that Emmett had been on in a long time. He'd dated off and on during high school and sewn some wild oats in college like most college students did but once he'd finished college he'd put his focus on the fireman's entrance exam and hand't dated a lot since.

"What's Jake like?"

"Jake is a loose cannon of emotions. He's a loyal son and friend. He's funny and sweet. He hates being wrong and he has a terrible temper when someone is dumb enough to take him on. He's moody and irrational at times. But ninety percent of the time he's a good person."

"He sounds like a guy I could get along with."

"You would. You both have thankless, selfless jobs which is something that I could never do, he's an EMT."

"You have thankless job and you're selfless. I haven't known you that long but I can see that."

"Thanks," she said with a shy smile.

The conversation was finished and Bella relaxed against Emmett, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. She rested her elbow on his knee feeling more at ease than she had in a long time. They were quiet, the TV turned off once the movie was over. It was only nine, way too early to go to even think of heading to the bedroom.

She turned her head, placing a kiss on his jaw. She placed a hand on his chest before throwing her legs over his and settling on his lap.

"Woman, you are full of surprises," he said in wonder.

She didn't respond as she pushed his shirt up just enough for her fingers to trace a small portion of exposed skin. His shirt was pushed up higher so that his abs were on full display. Seriously, was it normal for guys to look this good? She counted his abs to herself, counting six in all. Six very defined and tan abs. Emmett pulled the shirt off the rest of the way and Bella's eyes traveled to his pecs and biceps. She was sure that he could pick her up and toss her over his shoulder with ease if he wanted to.

Emmett's hands pushed her shirt up so that it bunched under breast, his fingers skimming over her stomach and rib cage. Bella's hands rested on his shoulders, feeling his muscles flex and relax under her fingers. He pushed her shirt over her breast and she pulled it off the rest of the way. He palmed one of her breast, which fit into his hand perfectly. Bella was never more glad that she had taken after the Swan side of the family than she was right then. Her mom was always complaining about her lack of a bust.

Her eyes were on his as she reached to unhook her bra slowly. Once it was off Emmett ran his fingers over her nipples, pulling them between his fingers gently until they pebbled in his hand. he leaned in, bringing one into his mouth and one of his hands moved down to her waist between them. The only sound in the room was the sound of her zipper being pulled down before his fingers slipped inside her underwear.

She gasped as one of the fingers cupping her sex slipped into her folds. Her eyes closed in pleasure and she found herself moving against him to the rhythm he had set. She could feel his erection growing against her thigh and if she wasn't mistaken he could possibly be bigger than Jacob was on the big side penis wise. He pulled her off of him with one arm and she lay back on the couch, offering herself to him.

He pulled her shorts and underwear off with one pull and then quickly shed his shorts and boxer briefs. Bella got her first look at his package and tried not to think about the pain that she would feel when he stretched her out when the time came.

"God, you are so wet," he groaned.

Bella moaned in response, not wanting to ruin the moment. He slipped a second digit in and Bella raised herself off the couch to meet his fingers. She reached down to take him in her hand, putting her fears aside. She could barely fit her hand around him and he had to be at least ten inches. She ran her hand from the base to the head, her fingers spreading precum that was starting to leak out.

After a minute she became less nervous and more sure of what she was doing. Emmett's breathing was becoming more labored and his fingers were moving faster at her center. She could feel her climax building, she wouldn't last much longer. Emmett added a third finger and she felt a slight twinge of pain pain but the feeling of her oncoming climax trumped it. She came with a muffled moan, rising off the couch, boneless. If Alice were home, she would hear them for sure through the paper thin walls that separated their living rooms. She would need to take things back to the bedroom which faced the outside of the building if things progressed.

Her hand continued to glide along his erection for another half a minute before his seed splattered over her stomach. He heaved a sigh of relief, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Where's your bathroom? I'll get a towel to clean you up," he offered.

"How about a shower?"

"I like the way you think," he said with an easy smile.

He stood then held out a hand for her. They walked side by side to the bathroom. They left the door open and Emmett started the shower while Bella grabbed them towels from the hall closet. Emmett was already in the shower when she got back into the bathroom and pulled her into the shower so quickly that she almost tripped over the edge of the tub. She fell into him with wide eyes and he looked down at her through lust filled eyes. It was going to be a long night and she was going to have a lot of explaining to do when she talked to Alice tomorrow but she had a feeling that Alice wouldn't mind.


	5. The Roles We Play

**Disclaimer: Psst...Psst, hey you? Yeah you, reading this disclaimer. I don't own Twilight.**

**AN: Happy day before Easter everybody! Hope all of you are having a great weekend however you choose to celebrate.**

**Warning: This chapter contains lemon. I know, I know, I've been writing a lot of it lately. But are all of you really going to complain?**

Bella had received the Spanish Inquisition just like she expected the morning after Emmett spent the night. Alice would have a bright future working for the police department or even the FBI if she chose to. After an hour Bella felt like she had spent the night in a interrogation room.

Bella had been forthcoming with the information that Alice wanted but stopped short of going into detail. Alice seemed satisfied with her answers and finally let the subject go after being told the story of what happened a third time.

"So is he...ya know?" Alice asked gently.

"What? My boyfriend? We haven't defined what's going on yet."

"No, is he; how do I put this nicely? How big is his hose, so to speak?"

"I am so not telling how big his penis is," Bella said giving her best friend a dark look.

"Come on, is it bigger than a Mike and Ike but smaller than a Red Bull can?"

"Bigger than a Mike and Ike for sure. Bigger around than a Red Bull can but not quite as long," Bella said vaguely.

"Well at least he's not short," Alice said, conceding with a huff.

"No, definitely not," Bella confirmed.

"It's good that you haven't DTRed yet, it's too soon."

"I'm going out on a date with him tomorrow night."

Alice clapped her hands excitedly while talking so fast that Bella couldn't understand her. The next thing Bella knew Alice was pulling her out of her apartment and into the one next door. Bella humored her until she started going through her closet.

"Alice, no. I don't need to borrow your clothes. I have my own."

"You need to seal the deal with him. Right now you're just a viscious trollop and you need to be loose and easy. I've got just the skirt for that. And I've got some condoms to give you just in case he hasn't had a chance to get some."

"I have something picked out for tomorrow night and I am going to the store to get condoms as soon as you decide you are done making my life miserable."

"What did you have in mind for tomorrow night?"

"I was going to finally buy that pale blue strapless sundress that I've had my eye on and my nude wedge sandles would look perfect with it."

"That is so much better than what I had in mind," she said with an agreeing nod.

"Can I go now?"

"Go. And I want a full report on Saturday."

"No, I'm drawing the line. I will not tell you anything else. I've already told you way more than I am comfortable with," she said, leaving before Alice could argue with her.

Surprisingly Bella wasn't nervous about her date with Emmett. Usually she was a big bundle of nerves leading up to the first date with a new guy, granted she'd only had two boyfriends in her life but at least she had experience to draw from. Jacob had been a model boyfriend, perfect really while Mike Newton had been a disaster waiting to happen. Thank God she had realized how wrong they were for each other before things got serious. The last she had heard about him was that he had married a girl they went to school with named Jessica. Bella hadn't spent much time with her since the girl was best friends with Bella's high school nemesis. Bella's best friend from high school, Angela, swore that Jess wasn't like Lauren but Bella had her reservations since she had stayed friends with Mike until they went away to college.

XXXX

Bella was ready fifteen minutes before Emmett was supposed to be there so she idly flipped through a magazine until someone knocked on her door ten minutes later. She opened the door and smiled in greeting at Emmett who stood outside with a bouquet of flowers.

"Come in," she said opening the door wider.

She took him in as he passed her. The sleeves of his flannel shirt were rolled up exposing his forearms and his blue jeans were loose but tight enough that she could stare at his butt as he walked by.

Once he was in the apartment he turned to face her, leaning down to sit the flowers on her coffee table before pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, anticipating his next move. He cupped her neck before leaning down to capture her lips. The kiss started innocently enough but Emmett wanted more and luckily Bella conceded when his teeth pulled gently on her bottom lip.

Emmett took his time, savoring everything she gave him, not taking more than what she was offering. He was as close to perfect as a person could be and Bella wasn't going to let him go without a fight. Bella pressed herself against him, feeling heat radiating off him and for a split second contemplated calling off the date so that they could stay in. She came to her senses when he pulled away with a smug, satisfied smirk.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hey," she answered breathlessly.

"You look nice," he said, finding his voice.

"You too," she said running her fingers through his hair.

"Could you not do that," he asked, his voice low.

"Does it bother you?" she asked, worried.

"Quite the opposite. It makes me want to take you back to your room and do ungodly things to you," he said his voice thick with lust.

She smiled with a nod before stepping out of his reach. To know that just the simplest touch could change things thrilled her and she would save the information to use on him later. She picked up the flowers and brought them to her nose as she carried them to the kitchen. She could hear him a few steps behind her and he leaned against the counter as she filled a vase with water.

"How did you know that purple tulips were my favorite?" she asked, sitting the flowers on the table.

"I asked Alice. Turns out, she's pretty useful when you need her."

"Yes, she is. What did you have in mind for tonight?"

"I thought we'd get something to eat and the go for a drive."

"A drive?"

"We're going to my favorite place in the whole world. Keep in mind that I've never been out of North Dakota," he said with a nervous smile.

"Wherever it is, I promise not to pass judgment on you, because I would hate for someone to pass judgment on my favorite place."

"Which would be?"

"The kitchen at the diner. But from where I'm from it's this small patch of beach where I went when I wanted to be alone."

He nodded as she pressed herself against him to lean up on her toes to kiss cheek. She let herself slide down his body slowly, noticing his eyes go from understanding to smoldering. She stepped back, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded, letting him take her hand and lead out of the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and he stopped long enough to let her lock up before pulling her down the stairs of her building. If anyone had tried to stop him he would have mowed them down, using himself as a shield from anyone trying to get to her.

He had borrowed Jaspers truck since he didn't feel comfortable using the fire houses SUV to take Bella out. He wanted to do this right because he wouldn't get a second chance at a first date with her.

He opened her door for her and helped her get in since the truck sat a little higher off the ground than most trucks. He wanted to be the only one to see her underwear tonight so a free show for everyone else was out of the question. The radio was tuned to one of the many country stations that the town offered but it was turned down low so that they could talk as they drove out of town.

"You've always lived in Bismark, haven't you?"

"Born and raised. I went upstate for college but I came back because I couldn't imagine planting roots anywhere else. My whole life is here," he explained.

"It's a nice place to live," she agreed.

"What about you? What were you like growing up?"

"I was a social wallflower until I got into high school. I kept to myself and never caused any trouble. Alice calls me a goodie too shoes and says that she would never have hung out with me back then. I put too much emphasis on school until I started dating Jake. I never gave my parents a reason to worry."

"You know that my dad died when I was young but what you don't know is that I've played sports from the time I was old enough to catch a football. Football, baseball and soccer but baseball is what I'm good at. I coach my brothers little league team. It's what my dad would do if he could be here."

"Were you and your dad close?"

"He was best friend, I shut myself off from everyone except for my mom and the boys for over a year before Carlisle stepped in. He and my dad were part of the same unit and when I found out that Carlisle had been relocated I joined him."

"I was raised by my dad, my mom wasn't cut out for small town life and I kept her from being the free spirit that she naturally is. She's never been the type to settle down in one place for too long and once she saw that I needed stability she sent me to my dad's. It wasn't easy but we made it work."

"So you're closer to your dad?"

"You could say that. Our whole town would look out for me when he worked the graveyard shift at the station. My first job was as a first response operator so Charlie was pretty happy about that. I worry about him now that I'm not there."

"My mom worries about me constantly. The day I finished my training she gave me my Saint Andrew necklace. I haven't taken it off since."

"My dad has a ring that he wears, my grandmother gave it to him when I was younger for protection. He never takes it off unless he's cleaning fish or washing his hands."

Silence fell over them for the ten minute ride to the barbecue place that Emmett claimed made the best pull pork sandwich he'd ever had. They decided to get the food to go since they weren't far from where he wanted to take her. After another ten minutes they pulled into a park parking lot.

"It's closed," Bella observed when she saw the sign on the gate prohibiting them from entering.

"I do this all the time, I know the owner. Come on," he said once he had helped her down.

He switched on a flashlight and Bella followed closely behind him. They walked half a mile before a ball field came into view. There were metal stands off to the side and the lights were on, the only lights in the entire park; he had planned this.

"You're favorite place is a baseball field? That's so cute," she said sentimentally.

"It's not cute; it's manly," he said gruffly.

"That too."

"Everybody from the fire station plays here almost every weekend in the summer. I've played here ever since I was a kid," he said climbing the stands.

Bella slipped off her shoes climbing the stands behind him. They sat halfway up and he doled out their food while she took in the field.

"You take baseball pretty seriously, don't you?"

"About as seriously as Jasper takes football. He grew up in Texas, you know how they are about that."

"I can guess. Do both of your brothers play?"

"Yep. Colin's still in the peewee's but Justin's in high school. I'll coach Colin's team in the spring."

"They're lucky to have a brother like you."

"Can you tell that to Justin? He's been in a 'I hate Emmett' funk lately."

"He's just being a teenager. I went through a moody phase too. It drove my dad crazy," she said with a shake of her head.

She had learned early on in their friendship that his dad had died when he was young. It was obvious that he still meant a great deal to Emmett and he talked about him freely. Bella talked about her parents and answered his questions about her friends from Forks. He asked about Jacob and the friendship she had with him that led to something more. He admitted that he'd dated sporadically in college and partied a little too hard but refocused himself after he graduated.

They spent an hour talking before clouds rolled in. The skies opened up on their way into town and Emmett decided to bring her back to the station. It was deserted but he saw that as a good sign. The rain had let up by the time he finished giving her a tour of the firehouse.

"There is one thing you haven't shown me," she said once the tour was over.

"You wanna slide down the pole? Wearing that?"

"I do want to slide down the pole, but some other time. I was talking about the truck," she said pointing behind him.

He opened the door for her and held onto her waist as she climbed in. He jogged around the front, grabbing a set of keys from off the wall.

"You wanna go for a drive?"

"Can we?"

"Sure, Jasper does this for Alice all the time."

"What if a call comes in?"

"Then you'd need to stay in the truck. Everybody must be out on another call," he said as the truck rumbled to life.

"Can you do the horn?"

"Pull the cord by your head."

She pulled the chord gently and whooped loudly then laughed when the horn sounded. He was grinning from ear to ear as he watched her. A mile from the station he saw the flashing lights of the fire engine. Carlisle hopped off the back, shaking his head with a smile.

"I should have known that was you we heard. We're headed to the diner, you coming?"

"Nah. We're gonna head back."

"I'm surprised you haven't got her in your lap," he teased.

"Jasper's the only one dumb enough to do that."

"Hey," Jasper said defensively.

"I wouldn't have done it anyway," Bella called out the window.

"Smart girl," Carlisle said before climbing back on the other engine.

Emmett found a place to turn around and they were back at the station five minutes later. They were silent until Bella suggested they climb to the top. Emmett went up the ladder first and grabbed her hand to help her over the side rail and they both fell against the top of the truck, but he was gentleman enough to cushion her fall.

"Are you okay?" she asked laying on her side to face him.

"I'm fine. The hoses took the brunt of it."

She rolled over on top of him, her dress skimming her thighs and her shoes were in the cab. Her hair fell around her shoulders as she leaned down to kiss him. It was brief but she kept her forehead to his.

"How long before everyone gets back?"

"The diner'll be closing in half an hour so they'll more than likely stay 'til they close."

"Good."

She unbuttoned his shirt and he pulled his arms out. She ran her hands down his chest to his stomach before working his belt from his jeans.

"We can even fool around for a few minutes first," she said suggestively.

"I need to go upstairs and grab a condom," he said sitting up.

"Already ahead of you," she said pulling one from her bra.

"How did you manage to find my stash without me knowing it?"

"I brought this from home," she said with a shake of her head.

He groaned before his hands went to her hair, pulling her to him again. Her hands rested on his chest as the kiss deepened. His other hand snaked its way under her dress to her center. He pushed her underwear aside, two fingers sliding into her folds easily. She moaned into his mouth as she rocked against his erection.

"This dress has got to come off," he said against her lips.

She reached behind her to pull the zipper down and pull the dress over her head. He pushed her bra down before she could unclasp it and latched onto a nipple. She decided to just leave it on. He lifted her with one arm and pulled his hand from her her center to flip her over, cradling her head to cushion it before unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans and pulling them down along with his boxers just enough to expose himself.

He rolled the condom down his shaft before entering her quickly. She gasped then moaned at the feel of him filling her. It was slightly painful since she hadn't had sex in over a year and he went slow, sensing her discomfort. He rested his weight on his arms, the pace slow to let her get used to him. After a couple of minutes she bucked her hips to meet his thrust, letting him know that she was ready.

She wrapped her legs around his waist to open her legs more and give him room to continue filling her and he sank farther into her, almost to the hilt. He brushed her fingers over her nipples and she sighed her approval. Lucky for her he was a fan of her breast so it was a win/win in his opinion.

"Roll over," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He did as she asked and she took all of him on the next thrust. He groaned, his voice echoing through the garage making him glad that they were alone. She leaned down, her breast brushing his chest as she slowed the pace. She kissed him, letting him set the pace of their love making. She lifted her hips just when he needed her to as her tongue brushed against his.

He was close but he had no idea if she was and he wasn't about to break the kiss to ask her. One of his hands drifted to her center, pulling her button between his thumb and middle finger. She moaned into his mouth, just the reaction he wanted. They didn't have much time before the others came back.

She rocked against his fingers and member feeling the tension build in her stomach, her orgasm was close. He slowed beneath her, his thrusts more fluid and forceful. Her orgasm brought stars to her eyes and she moaned loudly against his lips, her walls clenching him tightly. His loud guttural growl was muted only slightly by her probing tongue.

She rested her head on his chest to catch her breath, his heart thundering in her ear.

"Next time, hopefully it won't be so rushed," he said, his chest heaving.

"It was perfect. It's every girls dream to have sex on a fire truck. If it isn't then it should be."

His laughter rumbled through the room as she sat up, readjusting her bra then climbing off of him to fix her underwear.

"We should get dressed and climb down. I don't know how much time we have."

She looked down at her watch, thankful that the numbers glowed.

"The diner closed five minutes ago."

"Then they'll be back any minute now," he said handing her her dress before pulling his shirt on.

The truck pulled in just as Emmett tucked himself back into his jeans. They had just enough time to duck before the lights of the truck illuminated the room. Bella lay on top of him scared to move. Mostly everyone was quiet as they went upstairs but Carlisle and Jasper talked about where Emmet could be as they checked over the truck they had used before heading upstairs.

Emmett climbed down first, his hands on her waist before she touched the ground. He grabbed her shoes for her before walking her home. They kissed at her door and when he got back he disposed of condom that he had tied off and hid in the cab of the truck.

Jasper was the only one up when he made his way upstairs.

"Where have you been?"

"It was a nice night so I walked Bella home. Thanks for lending me your truck. Tanks full," he said tossing his best friend the keys.

Emmett showered then got ready for bed. He checked his phone to see if he had missed any calls or texts and he had missed a text from Bella.

_I can't remember if I told you before you left but I had a really good time tonight. Maybe we can go out again sometime soon?_

_You're asking me out? I like a girl who takes charge. How about Monday? I'll bring over some movies and you can make dinner?_

_I close Monday._

_Saturday?_

_As in tomorrow?_

_Next Saturday._

_I can give myself the night off since I haven't made the schedule yet._

_When are you on call?_

_Mon-Thurs._

_I'm free Friday until four._

_I'll come by with breakfast._

_Sounds good._

"Who are you texting?" Jasper asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Bella, we were trying to figure out when our next date should be."

"When is it?"

"Next Saturday. Is the light from my phone too bright?"

"Kind of. I'll turn the other way," he mumbled seconds before his bedsprings squeaked.

"'Night."

"Mmhmm," he said, his voice a deep rumble.

Emmett put his phone on the shelf above his bed. He settled in for the night, his arms folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Images from his date with Bella flashed through his head and he smiled smugly. No one would figure out that he had defiled one of the trucks and he had a memory to store in his spank bank. Things were starting to look up for Emmett McCarty and it was about time.


	6. Growing Closer Every Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the TV shows or movie mentioned in this chapter. They belong to their respective companies.**

**AN: I know that it's been a while since I updated any of my stories but I recently started college online and I wanted to get familiar with things before I started updating again. I hope that you guys understand.**

Bella was pulling a batch of chocolate chip muffins out of the oven when Alice let herself in, making as little noise as possible until she was in the kitchen and Bella had set the muffin tin on top of the counter.

"Whatcha doin'?" Alice asked, causing Bella to shout in alarm and jump three feet in the air.

Footsteps could be heard running from the other end of the apartment and Emmett stood next to Alice, fresh from the shower wearing only a towel. Alice looked him up and down in awe and his face warmed with embarrassment under her stare.

"Stop staring at him and get out!" Bella said in aggravation.

"I need to borrow your hair dryer," Alice said sheepishly.

"Go and get it and then leave," Bella said with a sigh.

Emmett waited until Alice shut the door behind her to heave a sigh of relief.

"I didn't mean to alarm you. She snuck up behind me and scared the living daylights out of me," she explained.

"It doesn't matter. She'll think twice before she does something like that again. Thanks for letting me use your shower," he said with an easy smile.

Bella hadn't expected him to call her early that morning to ask if he could use her shower since the bathroom at the firehouse was flooded. She could think of worse ways to start her morning than the sight of Emmett fresh from the shower with a towel slung low on his hips.

"What time do you have to be back?"

"I've only got half an hour," he said with a sigh.

"Then you have enough time to eat. By the time you get dressed the muffins will be cool enough to eat."

He pushed away from the door and could be heard walking through the living room before she went back to what she was doing before Alice had scared her within an inch of her life. She had the muffins plated and on the table along with a glass of milk when Emmett came in wearing his work clothes.

Bella could smell the Irish Spring soap that he used and sandalwood scent of his shampoo as he sat down across from her. He grabbed a muffin without saying a word until he popped the first bite into his mouth. He moaned, closing his eyes slowly. Bella smiled, waiting for him to say something.

"These get better every time I have them," he praised.

"Thank you. You can take the rest of them with you if you want."

"Are you trying to make me fat?" he teased.

"No, but my opinion of you wouldn't change if you were," she answered honestly.

"That's just what I needed to hear," he said, leaning over the table, "you get a kiss for that," he said, planting a loud kiss on her lips, causing her to giggle at his silliness.

She shook her head with a smile as he continued to eat. It had only been three days since their date but she hadn't been able to get him off her mind. She had accidently called Edward Emmett the day before when she dropped off her loan payment at the bank. Edward had taken it in stride when she had quickly apologized. He had finally gotten the picture that they were only meant to be friends. She was glad to finally let her guard down around him and not have to worry about him hitting on her.

Emmett left a little while later, promising that he would try to come to the diner for lunch one day that week. If he couldn't, she wouldn't see him until Friday morning. She could handle it, as long as he could.

XXXX

The lunch rush was starting to wind down on Wednesday afternoon when Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie came in and sat down at the counter. Bella was working the counter and she smiled in greeting, her eyes holding Emmett's a few seconds longer than the other's before George tapped on the bell to let her know that an order was up.

The order was Edward's and she placed it in front of him but he paid her no mind since he was talking to Rosalie. The two of them seemed like they were in another world. It was nice to see that Edward had found someone that he had so much in common with.

"Do you two know what you want yet?" she asked Emmett and Jasper.

"The soup of the day and an iced tea," Jasper answered.

"With lemon," Bella finished for him.

"Chicken salad on wheat and a hug," Emmett said, standing from his seat.

Bella laughed lightly before leaning over the counter and into Emmett's waiting arms. He squeezed her tightly and she brushed her lips across his cheek.

"Get a room!" Alice joked as she passed them.

"Apparently we can't even do that since you let yourself into Bella's apartment whenever you want," Emmett retorted.

Alice stuck her tongue out at him teasingly while Jasper looked between the two of them, confused.

"You need to put a leash on her, or at least a bell. She scared the living daylights out of me yesterday; she walked right in and I screamed bloody murder. To make things worse, he had just gotten out of the shower and came to check on me. She got an eye full, and she liked it," Bella explained.

"Did she now?" Jasper asked, giving Alice a mock, cool glare.

"I love you," Alice said, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Knock next time," he said firmly.

"Yes, Baby," she said with a sigh.

"Your food should be ready in a couple of minutes," Bella said as she sat Jasper's tea and Emmett's usual Coke in front of them.

Rosalie was finally ready to order when Bella sat the boy's food in front of them. Bella put in her order of sweet potato fries and grabbed a cup to fill with ice water for her. The female firefighter didn't acknowledge Bella as she sat her plate of fries in front of her and didn't take notice when Emmett snagged a fry, but Bella gave him a reprimanding look.

"Are you two ready for your check?" Bella asked them a few minutes later.

"Sure," Jasper said with a thankful smile.

"Hold on, I want fries of my own," Emmett said, pointing to the fries that Rosalie had yet to touch.

"You are a bottomless pit," Bella said, rolling her eyes.

"Where does it all go?" Alice thought out loud.

"Hey, stop thinking about his abs," Jasper ordered.

"It's kind of hard not to now that I've seen them. Don't worry though, he doesn't hold a candle to you," she said with a sweet smile.

"Now who needs to get a room?" Emmett muttered.

Bella sat Emmett's french fries in front of him along with the bill. Edward left a little while later but not before confirming that he'd see Rosalie later that night. Bella gave her a questioning look after he left.

"My shift ends in an hour and I'm off for the next four days. He's taking me to an outdoor concert in the park tonight," Rosalie explained like it wasn't a big deal.

Bella smiled, glad that Rosalie was smart enough to see what a great guy Edward was. The three of them paid their bill and Emmett hung back after the others left. Bella's shift ended twenty minutes later and Emmett offered to walk her home.

The ten minute walk to her apartment was spent in silence with her hand encased snuggly in his. He said goodbye to her at her door, kissing her three times before finally leaving since he had dinner duty that night. She felt confident that she could make it through the next day until she could see him again.

XXXXX

Thursday night was Bella's night off and she planned on doing her laundry in the basement of her building while eating Chinese take-out and then binge watching NCIS until she passed out.

She was throwing her last load in the dryer when her phone rang. Her dads name flashed across her screen and she swiped answer button before cradling her phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"Hey, Dad," she said over the noise of the dryer.

"Hey, Kiddo."

"Hold on, let me go out into the hall," she said, exiting the room.

"Laundry night?" he asked once the noise died down.

"Yeah. How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. The reason I'm calling is to remind you that my birthday is coming up and to remind you that you promised that you'd be here."

"And I will. I've already made plans for Alice to take over while I'm gone and I have faith in her that she'll do a great job. So I will be seeing you in a couple of weeks."

"That's good to hear. I also wanted to know if Emmett would be coming with you."

"I'm not sure, I haven't asked him."

"Why not? I'd like to meet him."

"He may not be able to get the whole week off. But if you'd like to meet him I'll talk to him about it when I see him tomorrow."

"Okay, just let me know. Sue needs a final guest list by Monday."

"I'll have an answer for you by the end of the weekend."

"Okay then, I guess that's all I needed. I love you Bells," Charlie said endearingly.

"I love you too. I'll talk to you Saturday night," she promised.

Alice was coming home from work when Bella came back up with her laundry a little while later. She asked if she could come over once she had changed and Bella conceded, even though it would throw a wrench in her date with Special Agent DiNozzo.

Bella pulled a bag of pinwheel cookies and a bottle of cinnamon schnapps out of her pantry while she waited for her friend. Alice announced herself as she let herself in and Bella came out of the kitchen, holding up what she had found.

"Yay! You know me so well," Alice praised, clapping lightly.

"Alice, everyone knows about your cinnamon addiction," Bella said tonelessly.

"What did you have planned for tonight?"

"There was a NCIS marathon on USA today and I have them on the DVR."

"Ugh, no," Alice protested, her nose scrunched in disgust.

"We can watch Real Housewives of New York," she counter offered.

"I do love a good Bethany/Ramona verbal smack down."

Bella handed over the cookies and schnapps before turning into Alice's favorite show. She could always catch up on NCIS later. She only watched the RH series because Alice loved them. She was partial to the Melbourne cast herself but she did like Theresa and hoped that the show would eventually let her back on. If Martha Stewart could bounce back than maybe Theresa could too.

After three episodes Bella had had her fill of yelling and backstabbing and turned off the TV. Alice turned to face her with a slight smile.

"Is there any reason why you wanted to come over? You could have watched TV at home."

"I wanted your opinion on something," she said honestly.

"Okay, spill," Bella ordered.

"Jasper wants to move in with me. My apartment is too small, so we would need to look for something bigger. The problem is, there aren't any openings in the building so we would need to live somewhere else."

"You'd be leaving me?" Bella asked, crestfallen.

"Yeah," she said with a pout.

"Do you love him? I mean, really love him? Love him enough to leave me?"

"I really do," she said with a breathless laugh, nodding her head vigorously.

"Okay, then. I give you my blessing to move in with Jasper."

"Thank you! But just so you know, I will always love you more," Alice said, hugging Bella tightly.

"Thank you, even if that is slightly disturbing."

"I'm gonna go. Jazz wants to start looking at apartments on Saturday and I've got a lot of research to do."

Bella fell back against the couch, letting out a whoosh of air. She had not seen that coming. She was happy for Alice and Jasper but she was sad because her best friend would no longer be living next door. They would just have make a point to designate one night a week as girls night.

XXXX

Bella woke up on Friday morning to the smell of coffee and vanilla. She sat up in bed, wondering what was going on. Had Alice come over after Bella had asked her not to since Emmett would be there by nine? She sighed as she got out of bed. She heard someone in the kitchen and she was prepared to raise hell if it was in fact Alice.

She pushed the kitchen door open to see Emmett standing at her stove. How had he gotten in? How long had he been there? She crossed the threshold, clearing her throat to get his attention. He turned, smiling in greeting. She smiled back as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I thought that you wouldn't be here until nine."

"It's nine-thirty, Babe. I didn't want to wake you up so I asked Alice to let me in."

"What are you making?"

"French toast and bacon. Grab a cup of coffee and keep me company."

She poured herself a cup of coffee then sat on the counter, a safe distance away from the stove so that the popping bacon grease wouldn't burn her. They talked while he finished cooking, him making her laugh and her filling him in on what was going on in her life.

"How would you feel about going to Washington with me?"

"That'd be nice. I'd like to meet your dad someday."

"He asked me to talk to you about coming with me when I go in a couple of weeks. He brought it up out of the blue last night."

"Yeah?" he asked with a crooked grin.

"Yeah. I think it's nice that he's wanting to meet you. You two have only talked a handful of times."

"I would need to talk to the chief about it but it shouldn't be a problem."

"I appreciate it," she said with a thankful smile.

They ate breakfast in the living room and once Bella had cleaned the kitchen Emmett announced that he had brought some movies for them to watch. He let her pick first and she kept it from him until the movie menu came up.

"This Means War?" he asked credulously.

"This movie is hilarious," she answered, defending her choice.

He nodded before pulling her onto the couch next to him. She tucked her legs beneath her and rested her head on his shoulder then watched as the bromance that Tuck and FDR shared went up in flames over a girl.

After the movie Bella went to grab him something to drink before getting ready for work. It had been decided that Emmett would stay the weekend so that they could take full advantage of her day off the next day. He was stretched out on the couch, watching a baseball movie that she hadn't seen when it was time for her to leave. She leaned over the back of the couch to kiss his cheek before walking out the door. It was too soon to talk about moving in together but having him stay over every once in a while was definitely something to think about.


End file.
